Itinerary
- Day 1
Arrival in Kashgar
Your driver picks you up at the airport and takes you to your hotel. After you check in, the rest of the day is open for you to explore on your own and get settled in.
- Start point
- Kashi Diqu, Xinjiang, China (Kashgar airport)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Kanas Downtown Hotel)
- Day 2
Kashgar to Taxkorgan
Start with buffet breakfast at the hotel, then meet your guide and driver. If the Sunday Bazaar is open, you'll walk through local markets filled with colorful clothing, nuts, and household goods. After that, it's about a 4-hour drive along the China-Pakistan Highway through the Pamir Plateau. You'll stop at Bulongkol Lake to take in the mountain views, then head to Karakul Lake to see alpine scenery and Kyrgyz herds before reaching Taxkorgan County for the night.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Buffet breakfast at hotel)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Tashkurghan Downtown Hotel)
Included Activities
- Buffet breakfast at hotel
- Visit Sunday Bazaar (if open on travel day)
- Drive along China-Pakistan Highway through Pamir Plateau
- Stop at Bulongkol Lake (White Sand Mountain Lake)
- Visit Karakul Lake
Landmarks Sunday Bazaar Bulongkol Lake Karakul Lake - Day 3
Taxkorgan to Kashgar
This morning you'll check out Tashkurghan's main attractions, starting with Stone Castle, a 2,000-year-old Silk Road fortress at 3,100 meters with watchtower ruins, temples, and a Buddhist stupa. From there, you go to Golden Grassland along the Karakul River where wildflowers bloom in summer and yaks graze. After lunch, it's a 5 to 6-hour drive back to Kashgar for the night.
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Kashgar Downtown Hotel)
Included Activities
- Visit Stone Castle (ancient fortress ruins)
- Visit Golden Grassland
Landmarks Stone Castle Golden Grassland - Day 4
Kashgar to Urumqi
Begin at Id Kah Mosque, Xinjiang's largest Islamic mosque with bright yellow walls and detailed architecture from the mid-15th century. Around 10:30 AM, head to the East Gate of Kashgar Old Town for a 30-minute opening ceremony featuring folk music and dance. You'll then walk through the 2,000-year-old Ancient City's narrow alleys and busy bazaars, and check out Handicraft Street for hand-carved wood and copperware. In the afternoon, transfer to the airport for your flight to Urumqi, where a driver will meet you and take you to your hotel.
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Urumqi Downtown Hotel)
Included Activities
- Visit Id Kah Mosque
- Attend Kashgar Old Town opening ceremony at East Gate
- Explore Kashgar Old Town Ancient City
- Visit Handicraft Street
- Flight from Kashgar to Urumqi
Landmarks Id Kah Mosque Kashgar Old Town Handicraft Street 
- Day 5
Urumqi to Turpan
After breakfast, drive about 4 hours to Tuyugou Valley, which has dramatic red sandstone cliffs, ancient cave dwellings, traditional Uyghur villages, and the Tuyugou Thousand Buddha Caves. Next, you'll see the Jiaohe Ruins, called the 'Pompeii of the East,' a 2,000-year-old Silk Road town covering 350,000 square meters with palace remains, temples, and markets. Your guide takes you back to your Turpan hotel to rest.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Turpan Downtown Hotel)
Included Activities
- Visit Tuyugou Valley
- Visit Jiaohe Ruins
Landmarks Tuyugou Valley Tuyugou Thousand Buddha Caves Jiaohe Ruins 
- Day 6
Turpan to Urumqi
Early in the day, explore the Karez Well, a unique ancient underground irrigation system with winding channels and wells that provide cool relief from summer heat. Then visit the Sugong Pogoda, China's largest Islamic minaret built in 1778, with elegant design and detailed brick carvings. In the afternoon, drive back to Urumqi and walk through the Xinjiang International Bazaar, the city's biggest market, for local fruits, ethnic clothing, handcrafted items, and carpets. Later, head to your hotel to check in and relax.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Urumqi Downtown Hotel)
Included Activities
- Visit Karez Well
- Visit Sugong Pogoda
- Visit Xinjiang International Bazaar
Landmarks Karez Well Sugong Pogoda Xinjiang International Bazaar 
- Day 7
Urumqi to Beitun
After breakfast, drive 1.5 hours to Heavenly Lake, an alpine lake at 1,910 meters in the Tianshan Mountains. You'll see snow-capped peaks, forests, wildflower meadows, and grasslands reflected in the calm water. The lake connects to the Queen Mother of the West from Chinese mythology. If you want, you can take a boat tour for an extra fee. Afterward, continue to Beitun for the night.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Beitun Downtown Hotel)
Included Activities
- Visit Heavenly Lake Scenic Area
Optional Activities
- Boat tour on Heavenly Lake (additional charge)
Landmarks Heavenly Lake 
- Day 8
Beitun to Hemu Village
Start with a hearty breakfast, then drive to Hemu Village, a traditional Tuvan settlement about 30 kilometers from Burqin County in the Altay Mountains. Known as 'China's Most Beautiful Village,' it has wooden cabins with steep shingled roofs, the clear Hemu River with glacial water, and snow-capped peaks. You can pay to visit a local family for Tuvan dumplings, fermented mare's milk, and folk music. Don't miss the sunrise or sunset from the Hemu Observation Deck, a 15-minute hike from the village center, for spectacular views.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast only provided if you book lunch and dinner at your village hotel)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Hemu Downtown Hotel)
Included Activities
- Scenic transfer to Hemu Village
- Explore Hemu Village
Optional Activities
- Paid visit to local Tuvan family (includes dumplings, fermented mare's milk, and folk music)
Landmarks Hemu Village Hemu Observation Deck Hemu River - Day 9
Hemu to Kanas National Geopark
Transfer to Kanas National Geopark in the morning, a UNESCO site in the Altay Mountains near the Sino-Russian-Mongolian border with glacial lakes, snow-capped peaks, and dense forests. With your guide, hike the 'Three Bays' of the Kanas River: Shenxian Bay with emerald waters and wildflowers, Moon Bay shaped like a crescent, and Wolong Bay with winding riverbeds. You'll follow the turquoise river, then climb 1,068 stone steps to the Fish-Watching Pavilion for sweeping views of Kanas Lake surrounded by forest-covered mountains.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast only provided if you book lunch and dinner at your on-site hotel)
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Kanas Downtown Hotel)
Included Activities
- Scenic transfer to Kanas National Geopark
- Guided hike along Three Bays of Kanas River
- Visit Shenxian Bay (Fairy Bay)
- Visit Moon Bay
- Visit Wolong Bay (Winding Dragon Bay)
- Climb to Fish-Watching Pavilion
Landmarks Kanas National Geopark Shenxian Bay Moon Bay Wolong Bay Kanas Lake Kanas River Fish-Watching Pavilion - Day 10
Kanas to Burqin
After breakfast, drive 2 hours through northern Xinjiang's arid plains to Wucai Beach, a geological wonder on the Yerqiang River about 24 kilometers northwest of Burqin County. The landscape has vibrant, layered cliffs in crimson red, sunflower yellow, emerald green, and lavender purple, shaped by river erosion over millions of years. You'll walk on wooden boardwalks to see erosion patterns up close. Spring wildflowers line the riverbanks. Then continue 1.5 hours to Urho Wind City in the Gurbantunggut Desert, where wind and sand carved sandstone cliffs into surreal forms.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel (Urho Downtown Hotel)
Included Activities
- Visit Wucai Beach (Five-colored Beach)
- Visit Urho Wind City (Ghost City)
Landmarks Wucai Beach Yerqiang River Urho Wind City - Day 11
Burqin to Urumqi Departure
After breakfast, you'll drive about 4 to 5 hours back to Urumqi, leaving northern Xinjiang's landscapes behind. Your driver takes you to Urumqi Diwopu International Airport with plenty of time for check-in and security. Your 11-day Xinjiang tour ends as you depart.
- End point
- Urumqi Shi, Xinjiang, China (Urumqi airport)
- Meals
- Breakfast
